


in tempest, storm and wind

by Jemi



Category: Krampus (2015)
Genre: During Canon, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27987717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemi/pseuds/Jemi
Summary: beth confronts stevie after the incident at christmas dinner. it doesn't go well.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	in tempest, storm and wind

**Author's Note:**

> i originally wrote this about four years ago, when the movie first came out, but i recently rediscovered it and figured the world could always use a little more krampus fic. 
> 
> the relationships between the kids have always been interesting to me, especially given how little we get of them in the film after the dinner scene so. here's some of the fallout we never saw.
> 
> overly-pretentious title from god rest ye merry gentlemen.

It’s after dinner – after Max has stormed off with her dad not far behind, after her mom and the rest of their visiting relatives have retreated to the living room for their usual passive-aggressive sniping crap, and after Omi has taken her place by the fireplace, staring into the flames with an expression that no one can quite read – that Beth finally catches Stevie alone.

She has no idea where Jordan is (not that she wouldn’t have cornered both of them if she could), but Stevie has a look on her face that says she’s just come off a lecture from her mom about what just transpired ten minutes ago. Something about her expression, something surly that says she hasn’t listened to a goddamn word of it and that she’d do it again in a heartbeat, only serves to piss Beth off all the more. Her mom’s side of the family always instinctively makes her want to snarl, but this time, they've all gone way too far.

With a cursory glance around to make sure her mother is about to pounce with a forced smile and a chiding ‘ _be nice to your cousins, Beth_ ,’ she rounds on the younger girl, taking no small amount of pleasure from the way that moody look jolts into something more startled and even apprehensive.

“So, what the  hell  was that for?” Beth wastes no time in snapping, folding her arms and positioning herself in the center of the hall, all the better to prevent Stevie from trying to make a break for it.

Despite her obvious surprise, Stevie recovers herself with a speed that might have been impressive under different circumstances and scowls. “What was  _ what  _ for?” she replies, in a tone that implies that she knows exactly what, but hasn’t had the time to come up with a proper comeback in such short notice. “That stupid letter thing? It wasn’t a big deal.”

It honestly takes Beth’s all to keep from just reaching out and  _ smacking _ her. She exhales slowly through her nose. “Don't give me that shit. You knew it was a big deal to Max. What the hell is  _ wrong  _ with you?”

“Oh, come on,” Stevie scoffs, fixing Beth with a disbelieving look. “Don’t tell me you didn’t think writing a letter to  _ Santa  _ wasn’t totally lame.”

It’s her expression that gets Beth again, that hint of a smirk that tempts her to be in on a joke she doesn’t even want to think about being a part of. True, she’d been avoiding Max like the plague from the moment she'd turned sixteen, and sure, he was annoying sometimes and way too into this Christmas crap, but he was still her little brother. And here was this all-but-inbred little  _ brat  _ they were supposed to be related to wanted her to join in on making his life even more miserable than it probably already was tonight.

Christ.

“Are you fucking  _ serious? _ ” she hisses, advancing on Stevie. It doesn’t even cross her mind that she’s backing her into a corner of the hallway as she does so. “You can’t even cut your shit out for three days, so we can just get this crap  over  with?” Maybe it’s the built up stress of these stupid yearly visits that have gotten worse and worse over the years, but suddenly, Beth’s found herself  _ seething _ . Her thoughts flicker back to the conversation she’d had with her mother before the Burkhausers had arrived, and with as much venom she can muster, she spits out: “You’re why some people should have to take a test before they breed, you little  _ shit _ .”

For a split second, Stevie looks like she’s just been struck in the face before her expression twists in anger. With a surprising amount of strength, she shoves Beth away. Beth's shoulder strikes the opposite wall, causing her to grunt in pain and surprise. 

“Go to hell!” Stevie snaps at her and without another word, she takes off down the hall, ignoring the sharp shout of her name as she passes by the living room, where the adults are still talking.

Stunned, Beth watches her go and, for a moment, wonders why she almost feels something like regret. Rubbing her shoulder where it collided with the wall, she stands and forces herself to remember the look on Max’s face when Stevie had smugly pulled his letter out at the dinner table. 

Christmas was a load of bullshit and she knew it, but still, she'd never wanted to see him that upset. And she definitely wasn’t about to go feeling sorry for the little asshole that caused it all.

Maybe tomorrow, though, she thought as she headed back up to her room and another Skype chat with Derek, she’d find some way to make it up to Max.

At the very least, they only had to last until after Christmas. Then, she wouldn’t have to think about any of this for another year.


End file.
